Newborn Child
by waterlit
Summary: And I am happy now. Rhode


Disclaimer: I own nothing! (:

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Rhode twisted in her bed and tried to pry the tight fingers of her memories from her hair; they yanked harder on her locks.

_I was unhappy once_, she told herself. _The past is over. Now comes the future_.

She twisted her hair again, beating off the clutching fingers; the ghosts of her past wavered under the waves of memory.

(And this is how it all began)

The little girl danced on the lush lawn, draped in the soft folds of golden moonlight. Her light feet tapped to some unheard rhythm, lithe body twirling in the gentle wind.

Dancing under the moon was her favourite hobby now. It allowed her to travel in dreams and fantasies closed to her in the harsh light of pragmatic day, and when she danced, she forgot all the dark nightmares that had come to her of late. The golden moonlight tinted with silver threads unravelled the tight hold of the haunting sleep-thoughts that had begun to plague her since a fortnight ago.

It all started the night she had first gone to church. She was not too young that she was barred from church, but various circumstances had prevented her from going. Now, at long last, her mother had managed to circumvent the circumstances and led her to church so she could learn to be a good, kind little girl, like the other young girls in the town.

She supposed her mother had found out about the little acts that she had committed now and again.

She wasn't really truly evil, she wasn't, really truly wasn't. She just somehow enjoyed forcing the kitten's nose into the plate of milk, holding its nose under the liquid even as the little furry thing struggled wildly in her small hands. A feeling of power crept up on her, swallowing her whole in its conquering tide. It electrified her, that little act, and made her happy the way she seldom was.

(And she had been unhappy then, in her previous life)

However, her mother had walked in on her a week ago as she cut her doll up into pieces, the stupid waxy inhumane thing that it was. It served the doll right for being such an unfit toy. It wasn't her fault, really, but her mother had whacked her and dragged her off to church when Sunday next came.

But now, in the moonlight, she could dance away the cobwebs stringing her to this mean existence. It could even release the tight grip of the nightmares that had haunted her since a short time ago.

It all started the night when the moon hid her glowing face behind those clouds spun of darkness. She had crept to bed, silent as a tiny mouse, snuggling into her bedclothes with childish joy. In the darkness, those gloating dreams had in turn snuck up on her, binding her with their cutting chains. She had cried out, not too loud, when she awoke, but she had not been able to shake off the startling feeling that something was latched onto her, sucking her into insanity from inside out.

And so she had lived for the daylight and the moon ever since, wishing to rid herself of the tickling sensation that itched in her psyche.

The girl continued to dance, holding her slim arms out. She slid into the shadows for a moment, before waltzing out again. For a second, as she emerged from the chilly shadows, she thought she saw a cloud fall over the moon. She blinked, and her eyes found light again.

"Rhode, darling, it's time for bed!" Her mother called out.

Her dreams were clouded with whispering echoes and dark laments, again, for the umpteenth time.

She found herself standing on a dark expanse of land. A lone figure, she was, clutching her thin nightgown, cowering as wailing winds flew and screamed. The sickle moon cackled somewhere in the hungry sky, above her, throwing thin silvery light at her tiny feet. The land was barren, and the ghosts of the world were waiting for their newborn child.

"Hooooooooooooooooooooo" The wind screamed, and a finger tickled her calves, cold as ice in winter. Rhode jumped.

"Where am I?!" The tiny, small voice cried out, trembling in the empty lands, frightened, as she should be.

Another cackle. She turned and glared at the moon, tears washing the stony ground. _Let me out!_ She turned, then, and ran, in the direction of the hill that stood some way apart. _Run_, she told herself, _run or you will regret it_. Run she did, tearing through the wind's whirling travels, feet falling on the limpid pools of silver moonlight. The sickle moon gleamed as she reached the hill. She climbed – it was no mean feat for a girl of her age, but she did it anyway.

From the top of the hill she saw a white cube. It shimmered with crystal dust, the dirt of centuries glistening in the empty night sky. She was curious and looked long at it, and was hence taken unawares. A clawed hand reached for her, from the side, its blood-red nails lightly scratching her face. She turned, and squealed, running off the hill, running, into brambles and thorny bushes, and then fighting them off with all the vehemence she could muster.

She kicked, and kicked. Her leg made contact with something soft. Her eyes flew open – a fat man stood in front of her. Her large eyes were wet, and she sat up, giving her environment the once-over.

"Kombawa, Rhode." The fat man beside her said.

Seeing him, she felt a spark traverse her body; it connected her heart, mind, body and soul. This person… was familiar. This man was not an enemy; he was a man who knew her from long ago, she was sure, perhaps in a land before time. While she thought and tried to remember, a palpable silence widened between them, like an empty gulf, and the silence was so soothing that Rhode was loath to break the thin silvery thread of silence between her and the man.

"Who are you?" Rhode asked, finally breaking the silence between them. The thin thread snapped, and the fat man looked up.

"I, my dear Rhode, am the Earl of Millennium." His face, wooden and immovable in the drafts of golden moonlight, showed his huge teeth moving as he spoke. Rhode wanted to reach out and touch them…

"Oh. Why are you in my room?" the girl tilted her head of short blue hair to better observe the man.

"I have come to collect you, my dear Rhode back to your true family."

"My true family…" Rhode repeated.

The Earl placed his head on Rhode's head. "All those nightmares… they are over now, my child. You are a Noah now, a member of my family. You are the ninth disciple of Noah, and the First Child. I am here to welcome you into my wonderful family."

He chuckled, and the girl smiled. Her eyes flashed golden, and stigmata started to appear on her forehead.

"I will follow you, Master Millennium." Her voice flickered, fingered with a cold touch of snake-like venom not there before.

(And I am happy now.)

But the memories refused to tear their twisted fingers from her hair, and she sighed and turned in her icy bed.

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A/N: I felt like posting this today haha. I looked at the list of whatever I've already written, and I liked this the best. I think I wrote this a couple of months ago too haha.

Rhode looks so much better than Road, don't you think? (:

Haha ohhh well. I hope you enjoyed this heh, though I am fully aware of its insufficiencies. Thanks for reading, and reviews would be most appreciated! :D


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